Photo of the Week: Western Grebes

A young Western Grebe rides on its parent’s back on a prairie pothole in central North Dakota. Joshua Galicki shot the photo in mid-June and posted it to our U.S. and Canada Gallery.

Galicki, his dad, and two friends were driving west across the state when they noticed a large number of grebes on the water. They pulled off the highway and parked, and Galicki shot the photo while he stood near his vehicle. He used a Canon 7D and a 400mm lens handheld.

“It was a pleasant surprise for us because our minds were focused on Baird’s Sparrow and Sprague’s Pipit, which we were hoping for later in the day,” he says. “I find the best shots and opportunities for me are most always accidental.”

Family portraits

A picture you take could win you a subscription to BirdWatching! We choose a new photo every Monday. And every other month, we ask a professional bird photographer whose work we’ve published in the magazine to pick the best Photo of the Week over the previous two months. We’ll give the winner a free one-year subscription to BirdWatching. Plus, we’ll publish his or her photo in the magazine! Send us your photo today!